The history of the Irish of Sillery

During the mid- to late-1800s, many Irish lived in the many coves along the Sillery waterfront, where they worked in the lumber yards. The tall spire of the Irish community’s St. Columba’s Church, built in 1854, now Église Saint-Michel, stands on Sillery Hill overlooking the St. Lawrence River.

At the end of Thanksgiving weekend, Irish Heritage Quebec president Joe Lonergan gave a talk to answer the question, “Are the current Irish living in Sillery descendants of the original Irish community established on the waterfront?”